The Princes Trust Team Programme is changing the lives of young people by helping them develop crucial employability skills. These skills give Team participants a foot in the door that they wouldn’t otherwise have, since all are NEET (not in education, employment or training) and many come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

In this blog we'll hear from three individuals, each offering a different experience of Team, and each well-qualified to talk about the value of employability projects.

 

The Princes Trust Team Programme is a 12-week journey of self-development for young, NEET individuals, designed to foster skills essential for taking positive steps in life. Adviza manages Team programmes in Bracknell and Aylesbury, each providing work experience placements and preparation for the 'next steps' in young people’s lives, from honing their CVs to practising interview skills, exploring potential career pathways and – perhaps most importantly of all – gaining confidence, motivation and a sense of their own value and abilities.

A fantastic day where young people get to visit a corporate partner’s office or site...a great way for young people to learn the variety of different functions and diverse experience of staff.

According to Tina Paulo, Delivery Partnerships and Volunteering Manager at The Prince’s Trust, "83% of young people who complete our programmes go on to gain positive outcomes...some young people go on to further education, some move into employment or apprenticeship courses. For those not quite ready for that next step, The Prince’s Trust continues to support Team graduates with further opportunities such as progression mentors, Development Awards and other employability programmes at The Trust.”

While every part of Team supports employability skills, Tina says there are four main aspects that provide particular focus in this area: World of Work day, CV writing (and interview workshops), a two-week work placement and planning and next steps. World of Work day is “a fantastic day where young people get to visit a corporate partner’s office or site to learn about all the different jobs and talk to staff about their career journeys - a great way for young people to learn the variety of different functions and diverse experience of staff.”

The two-week placement (with a well-chosen organisation) allows young people to “get a hands-on experience of the world of work.”

We engage the young people in lots of team-building activities which help them gain self-confidence and belief, and understand the importance of working as a team.

For Adviza’s Amy Elding, Team Leader for The Prince’s Trust Team (Bracknell), one of the factors behind the success of the programme is that it engages young people by providing an enjoyable experience. "We are building employability skills in a fun way,” she says. “We engage the young people in lots of team-building activities which help them gain self-confidence and belief, and understand the importance of working as a team.” Amy says the delegates also learn “Health and Safety, organisation, timekeeping, and reliability,” with “reflection time thinking about how the skills they have learned from the activities interlink into the world of work.”

It helps with going into the workplace, building a routine, and gaining the confidence needed to go into work.

Kalid, a young person who recently completed a Team programme delivered by Adviza, has shared his personal experience of the impact it had on his life. For Kalid, the activities “helped me build teamwork and communication skills.” He says the work experience at Team “helps with going into the workplace, building a routine, and gaining the confidence needed to go into work.”

Reflecting on his experience completing the Team programme, Kalid says he feels “a lot of confidence because of the two-week work placement. It showed me things, so I knew what I wanted to go on and do. So, then I started approaching people to ask for volunteering opportunities to build up my experience.”

 

The impact of the Princes Trust Team Programme is clear to those of us at Adviza who deliver it in our regions, but the testimony of our many successful delegates is even more compelling evidence that Team can truly change lives. While it fosters employability skills in NEET young people, it also instils a sense of direction and confidence in them—something that education and other institutions have, thus far, failed to do for them.

As we celebrate Employability Day, we recognise the instrumental role initiatives like Team, and others of its kind, play in shaping the futures of young individuals, and in contributing to a more skilled and engaged workforce from a variety of backgrounds. And there is substantial evidence to suggest that diverse workforces make for stronger, more resilient organisations which in turn creates a stronger, more resilient economy. We can and must embrace an engaged workforce from diverse backgrounds and we are proud to facilitate this.

At Adviza we believe that very young person should have the chance to succeed, no matter their background or the challenges they face. The Princes Trust Team Programme is a testament to that belief.

 

We are grateful for the permission of all individuals mentioned in this blog to share their insights. 

 

Learn more about The Prince's Trust Team Programme

 

29th June 2023